May 30, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Merkel declines invitation to G7 summit in the U.S., citing coronavirus

German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefs the media in Berlin on May 27. Photo: Markus Schreiber/pool/AFP via Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not plan to accept President Trump's invitation to attend an in-person G7 summit in Washington, D.C. at the end of June, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Deborah Birx, the lead White House coronavirus task force coordinator, told reporters last week that D.C., Maryland and Virginia have the highest percentage of coronavirus cases in the U.S.

  • Trump said last week that he was "considering" holding the summit at Camp David — located in Maryland — and inviting world leaders to attend in-person.

What they're saying: “The chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G-7 summit in Washington at the end of June,” a spokesperson for the chancellor told the Times. “As of today, considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, a trip to Washington.”

Go deeper: Coronavirus is greatest challenge since World War II, Merkel warns

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 30,241,377 — Total deaths: 947,266— Total recoveries: 20,575,416 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 6,681,251 — Total deaths: 197,763 — Total recoveries: 2,540,334 — Total tests: 91,546,598 — Map.
  3. Politics: Trump vs. his own administration on virus response.
  4. Health: Massive USPS face mask operation called off — The risks of moving too fast on a vaccine.
  5. Business: Unemployment drop-off reverses course — 1 million mortgage-holders fall through safety net — How the pandemic has deepened Boeing's 737 MAX crunch.
  6. Education: At least 42% of school employees are vulnerable.
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Rebecca Falconer
Sep 7, 2020 - Health

New York coronavirus infection rate stays below 1% for a month

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a July COVID-19 briefing in New York City. Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Sunday that the state's coronavirus infection rate has remained below 1% for 30 days and COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped to 410 — the lowest since March 16.

Why it matters: The milestones indicate the state that was once a global coronavirus epicenter is curbing the spread of the virus, even as restrictions ease. "Our actions today determine the rate of infection tomorrow," said Cuomo, imploring New Yorkers to continue to take precautions against COVID-19. "I urge everyone to be smart so we don't see a spike." New York reported nine more deaths from the coronavirus and 729 new cases Sunday.

Go deeper: NYC pushes back school reopenings 10 days amid threat of teachers' strike

Rebecca Falconer
Sep 7, 2020 - World

India's coronavirus cases surge to second highest in the world

A health worker collects a swab sample from a girl for coronavirus testing at New Ashok Nagar, in New Delhi, India, in August. Photo: Mohd Zakir/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

India is now second only to the U.S. for coronavirus cases after surpassing Brazil for infections on Monday morning.

By the numbers: India has reported more than 4.2 million COVID-19 infections and Brazil has confirmed over 4.1 million cases, per Johns Hopkins data. However, Brazil has the world's second-highest death toll, with the virus claiming the lives of 126,650 Brazilians.

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